Recording video to PC from MiniDV video camera

I have a recording on my JVC GR-D70 MiniDV video camera that I'd like to make video of on my computer. I'm having several issues . . .

1. The camera has both a USB and a firewire connection. My PC (Dell E310 less than a year old) only recognizes the camera when I use the USB; however, USB can only be used to capture still images, not moving video.

2. The PC won't recognize the camera in video software programs. This is a fairly common issue on the internet, I've found. I Already contacted Dell & JVC. JVC could fix it -- for the cost of the camera! I've never used this function before, so it's likely this function never worked on this camera (it's three years old).

3. I installed a IEEE 1394 card on my computer, which is functioning fine; however, computer still won't recognize camera. Any software I use also says "no video device is connected," when it is. Because of this, I can't connect the camera to the PC directly.

3. To work around this, I recorded the video from the camera miniDV tape onto a DVD+RW using a DVD recorder. When I play the video on the PC straight from the DVD in either Media Player 11 or Nero Showtime, it plays fine. However, after I've edited it or saved it to my hard drive, the video skips, and the audio & video get out of sequence.

I have a JVC GR-DVL820 it's about 5 years old & firewire connection works perfectly.
1/ is your cable is OK
2/ can you connect other firewire hardware to your computer
3/ are you running windows XP
4/ if these are OK your video camera's firewire connection is no good,
and if your manual says the firewire works and JVC won't fix it, ring the Fair Trading Dept.

1/ is your cable is OK
The cable was fresh out of the plastic bag it came in. I had never opened the bag or used it before I tried this two weeks ago, thus the firewire connections, etc. were all "new" in the sense I'd never used the firewire connection on the camera or the firewire cord before. The cord has been kept in the camera bag for the past two years, so there was no damage to it before its first use two weeks ago.

2/ can you connect other firewire hardware to your computer
I don't own any other accessories that use a firewire connection to test with my computer. The camera is the only thing I own that uses a firewire connection. My computer says that the Firewire IEEE 1394 card I've installed is working properly.

3/ are you running windows XP
Yes ~ using XP Home with Service Pack 2. My computer itself is less than a year old. It's a Dell E310.

4/ if these are OK your video camera's firewire connection is no good,
and if your manual says the firewire works and JVC won't fix it, ring the Fair Trading Dept. What's the fair Trading Department, and how can they help me? JV WILL fix it, but not for free because the camera is no longer under warranty.

Thanks! I think I've actually found a workaround. If I plug the camera directly into the DVD recorder using AV cords and record directly from my GR-D70 to a DVD+RW disc, I can then take the disc & put it my computer.

I then copy the Video_TS folder to my hard drive, open a new project in Womble MPEG Video Wizard, export it, then I can post it on Phanfare, which is an image/video site for sharing photos & videos with family & friends. When it's posted to Phanfare, it takes about 15 minutes for the video to be uploaded on the site, then the site converts the video into Flash format. Wala! An easier to way to share video with family & friends without sending it via email.

I wonder, though . . . is there any easier way to convert VOB files into MPEG files?

By the way, I have another question. I recorded three different video segments on my DVD+RW disc, but when I put the disc in my computer, it shows it as only one file (VTS_01_1). That wouldn't be a problem except the playback is very inconsisstent.

When I tried to put the file into Womble MPEG DVD Wizard so I can cut the uneeded portions, the audio & video get mixed up -- and at different places every time. Sometimes I don't see the first part but am hearing the audio from the first part while watching one of the other segments.

When I use Sonic Cineplayer to play the video directly from the DVD+RW, it shows three different chapters I recorded (or titles -- I'm not sure which is the correct term). It appears that I have to use a separate disc for each segment so that they don't get mixed up. Is there a way to fix this & see the three diffrent files in Explorer view? Right now I'm actually using Nero to export the file to see if that works.

All I can suggest with the DVD is to open the disk with DVD Shrink and click 'Reauthor'.
On the right side (if there are three titles) they will be listed.
Drag one across to the left side and click the play button.
If the audio is screwed up then I can't suggest anything.
Check each title and if everything is ok, click 'backup' and save the files to a folder.
Alternately you can tell it to burn a dvd with DVD Decrypter...